Howling Mad
by TiNkAhBeLLe
Summary: Unfathomable! Preposterous! Surely, he could not have been serious. But, evidently, he was. The green-eyed monster takes his toll on our troubled hero.


**a/n: **First attempt at this fandom! So don't be too rough on me or I'll be forced to scream 'Oww' and apologies in advance if the characters seem a bit OOC. Never read the book, but I've watched the movie about a couple billion times. And I don't care what anyone says, a cartoon character _can _be hot. Don't you agree?

**disclaimer: **I owns nothin'!

**summary: **The green-eyed monster claims yet another victim…

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_Howling Mad_

Unfathomable!

Preposterous!

Surely, he could _not_ have been serious. But, evidently, he was.

"My darling Sophie, I beg you to be reasonable."

Reasonable?! _Her_?! When _he_ was the one who, in essence, lost any sort of sanity he once held?

She glared at him, then followed with a crisp: "Leave."

"But, my love, you know that I don't have the strength to do that. I adore you too much," of course, this being Howl, it was said in an overly dramatic beseechingly heartbroken voice.

Sophie stood up with her back straight, her silver hair shifting like glittery specks of diamonds reflecting the moon. In her best schoolteacher impression, she spoke in a voice that could obviously not be ignored. "Howl, if you please."

Playing the obtuse fool, he responded with a small smile on his face, "If I please what?" He moved closer to her, invading her personal space. "You?"

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, she forcefully pushed him back. Sophie had been around him for too long to fall for his tricks any longer. "Don't try to be cute Howl. You know as well as I do that doesn't work on me."

His shoulders slumped immediately, and Sophie could have sworn she heard him mutter under his breath, "You always have to make things so hard."

"Given the situation, I'm going to pretend that I didn't hear that. What you did was unforgivable Howl and all I'm asking you to do is leave."

"But, Sophie! Can't you see what this is about?" He pulled her close then, grabbing her shoulders and holding her for all he was worth. "He's trying to lure you away from me!" Howl had become desperate the moment he saw the suspicious little package outside. It had been addressed to Sophie, and before he could peek through the wrapping, she had snatched it right out of his hands.

She had said to him, "Howl Jenkins! It is completely rude for someone to open a gift that is addressed to another. Have some manners, won't you?" He shuddered at the memory. It reminded him of when she was her 'older' self. The one that had no patience for young, exuberant men like him. Really! It was not his fault he had insatiable curiosity. He could hardly be blamed for something beyond his control.

At the present moment, however, his dear Sophie was obviously irate. "Don't be ridiculous! The Prince is doing no such thing. He's simply thanking me for my kindness," she said it with such affection that Howl couldn't hide his annoyance.

"What? So now I am to give you gifts so you'll be happy with me too?" He pierced her with his gaze, searching for an answer. Then, he instantly regretted his words. Tears pricked her beautiful brown eyes and he wanted to jump off a cliff and fall down to a crushing death because that was exactly how he felt at the moment.

More out of spite than anything else, she heatedly replied, "Well, maybe I should go the Prince. I highly doubt he'll say such abominable things to me or ruin my gifts!" And without so much as a 'by your leave,' she turned away from him and flew up the stairway. Howl heard a resounding slam of the door before he finally slumped on the nearby sofa.

Well, that didn't turn out as well as he'd hoped. And he knew what he did was simply…

Unforgivable. She had hit it on the mark.

He'd have to get back into Sophie's good graces somehow and regain her love again. In retrospect, maybe _he_ had overreacted.

Maybe a tiny bit. A little teeny-weeny over-the-top reaction. Okay, so fine! Maybe he overreacted.

A lot.

Colossally!

Gargantuously!

(insert all words synonymous with huge here)!

Again, Howl was struck with a feeling of melancholy. Well, really, how could one control one's self when one sees the apple of his eye, the girl of his dreams, the woman of his utmost desires accept a gift from a rival fiend who obviously had no good intentions!

How dammit! How! So, maybe he shouldn't have viciously snatched the little scarecrow doll out of her loving hands. Maybe he shouldn't have also stolen the letter she was in the process of reading and throw it violently towards the fire. Maybe he shouldn't have said, "Sophie darling, this is for your own good," and proceeded to shred the little scarecrow doll in half, then into thirds, then into fourths and…well, you get the picture. Maybe he shouldn't have had a maniacal psychotic gleam to his eye while he did this either because that _clearly_ didn't help matters presently.

Sighing a deep heaving sigh, he continued to sit there.

Thinking. And thinking. And thinking. And oh-! How discomforting!

Oh gods this was embarrassing! Because the reason for his action just hit him like the proverbial Heen landing from a high-placed shelf onto one's stomach. He didn't want to admit it, but Howl Jenkins was maddeningly, bone-ragingly, clawed-in-the-guts jealous. Jealous by that incompetent Prince (the man was turned into a scarecrow for Heaven's sake) who happened to be outrageously in love with the same girl who saved them both from themselves. If it didn't strike Howl's heart in such a way that could only be deemed dangerous to one's health, he'd scoff and say that it was impossible. Unbelievable, even. But that niggling feeling wasn't there for no reason at all.

Sophie Hatter. She was such a conundrum. And now, although they had admitted their feelings to each other, he still had his doubts as to how she could 'love' one such as he. He was no monster of course (ha!), but Howl was himself – character flaws, feathers and all. He did not paint a pretty picture on paper, he very well knew, but he had merit where it was due. And, he _was _mistaken. Howl knew Sophie did not need material objects to make her happy. What a fool he had been!

He sighed heavily again. How in Heaven's name was he going to get through this one? He needed her! Needed her to know that he was just despicably jealous and he couldn't see reason at the time being. He had to tell her he loved her! This moment! This instant!

Racing up to her bedroom, he paused abruptly at the door of her room. Placing his ear next to the door, he listened quietly for any sounds coming from inside. Without warning, the door burst open and Sophie was there, staring up at him with a confused look on her face. The look only lasted a split second before it was replaced with anger.

"So now you're spying on me Howl?"

"No, my darling love, please! That's not what I came up here for!"

She snorted at his response. "What is it then? You have a gift for me since I can't be happy without them?"

"Oh Sophie, don't be that way. Can't you see I'm trying to explain?" She didn't say anything then and Howl jumped in through the window of opportunity. "I love you, is that so hard to believe?"

"You 'claim' you love me. That doesn't explain why you suddenly snatched my gift out of my hands and tore it shreds. He's a friend Howl. You know how much friendship means to me."

"Yes, but you do understand that he's just trying to permanently set himself in your mind" –he paused, at a loss for words – "sort of like…like subliminal brainwashing?" He tried his hand at that explanation. She simply shoved him away from the doorframe.

"If you're going to continue to act like a child, I shall treat you like one. I'm going out for a walk."

"Sophie, wait." He said it so quietly that she couldn't ignore him. "Please…" And he truly sounded wounded this time.

Knowing that she was going to regret it later, she slowly turned around. She would give him the benefit of the doubt.

"The reason I….the reason I-" He fumbled his words. Gods, he must have sounded like an idiot.

"The reason you…"

"Sophie, the reason I did" – he cleared his throat – "those actions was because of a certain reasonable reason that I will tell you in just a moment in no uncertain terms."

"Howl…" She trailed off threateningly, "this better be good."

Using his long legs, he took a step and closed the distance between them. Gripping her chin lightly, he glanced into her beautiful eyes that contrasted sharply with her silver hair. She was _his_ dammit! And those soul-searching eyes belonged to him as well. Kissing her quickly before she could protest, he pulled back before she could step away.

Sophie appeared dumbfounded at the turn of events but that was not going to stop Howl from admitting to her what he knew. "I did it because I was beyond jealous. I love you Sophie and I won't share. You'll let me be selfish in that regard right?"

Sophie's shoulders started to shake then. It looked as if she were trying to hold something in but was unable to control it. She suddenly burst out in laughter, merrily filling the halls with its tinkling sound. He had just looked so boyishly earnest!

"Oh Howl, why couldn't you just say that to me in the first place?"

Sophie didn't allow him to answer. Her kissing him back was answer enough.

Maybe good things did come out of Howl being crazy.

-Fin

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**a/n: **Ahh useless fluff. Where would we be without it? Well, now's your chance to tell me how bad I wrote…Review please?


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